


The Days Before Yesterday

by Lavisyste



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: AU where Garrus and Shepard are together before ME1, Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/M, First Contact War AU, Fluff and Angst, Garrus and Shepard met in the First Contact War, Turian/Human racism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 02:41:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19053604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavisyste/pseuds/Lavisyste
Summary: First Contact War Vet Shepard is assigned as Captain David Anderson' s XO on a new Alliance vessel called The Normandy. It was a shakedown run, and as a final recommendation for the Spectres. It was /supposed/ to be a shakedown run. But instead, Nilhus gets killed, they lose the beacon, and she has to find a rogue agent by the name of Saren.Honestly, Shepard isn't sure why she doesn't expect shit to hit the fan immediately after she arrives on the scene. But, this time, she has more hands on deck. And this time? She's going to be with who she loves most.And this time, there is going to be /no one/ who will tear them apart.





	The Days Before Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Winds of Change](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4227075) by [Spacefille](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacefille/pseuds/Spacefille). 



 

It had been a while since she was aboard a ship.

The SSV Normandy was the first of her kind, if Shepard had heard the details right. She was going to be the prototype for a “deep scout” frigate, and was co-developed by the Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. All under the watchful eye and sponsorship of the Citadel Council, of course. Part of it was definitely that the Alliance wanted to have the upper hand, an ace in the hole since the Citadel Council kept pushing for humans to settle in unstable regions. The other part was probably to foster more relations between humans and turians after the First Contact War. The Citadel wanted everyone to get along, and while diplomatic ties were cool, they were still fairly strained.

The Alliance got their new fancy ship, and the turians proved they could play _nice_.

Shepard kept her thoughts to herself. It wasn’t her place to comment on speculations, and she wasn’t about to start in-fighting just for kicks. But as she made her way up to the bridge, she could tell the turian details on the Normandy, especially in the command center. Turian officers liked to look down on their subordinates, after all. That suited them just _fine_ , if she thought back on it.

Nihlus certainly seemed like the type.

She took her place next to Nihlus, as Joker flew them through the mass relay. He glanced at her every so often, and she glanced back. She suspected he expected her to make a comment by now, or punch him for last time. She wasn’t. As the XO for Captain Anderson, she was expected to behave like a proper solider. She wasn’t going to give in for his amusement.

“Thrusters, check. Navigation, check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift...just under fifteen hundred K.” Joker said to Nihlus, and he nodded. Nihlus only said that fifteen hundred was good, and that the captain would be pleased before heading off. Joker made a noise that she could only assume meant he was annoyed.

 

“I hate that guy,” he sighed, glancing over to Kaidan.

 

Kaidan raised his eyebrow. “Nihlus gave you a compliment…. So you hate him?”

 

Shepard failed to mention that the compliment Joker got out of Nihlus was the best Joker was ever going to get out of the turian. Nihlus had always been the _subtle_ type. He gave credit where credit was due, and he gave what he felt was appropriate. To him, Joker was just doing his job, nothing spectacular. She kept herself out of it.

“You remember to zip your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That’s _good_. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that’s _incredible_. Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don’t like having him on board. Call me paranoid.” He went on, becoming a little agitated before cooling off.

“You’re paranoid. The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment.” Kaidan shook his head.

 

“Yeah, that is the _official_ story. But only an idiot believes the official story.” Joker quirked an eyebrow, glancing up at her, expecting her to make a statement. She didn’t want to make a statement. She didn’t have a dog in this race, but Joker was expecting her to, so she did.

  
“They don’t send Spectres on shakedown runs,” she responded plainly. It was an extremely obvious statement anyone could have gathered by hearing conversations by the crew. _Of course_ they didn’t send Spectres on shakedown runs. _Of course_ Nihlus probably had better things to do across the galaxy, and yet, he was _here_.

  
No doubt in her mind that it was a cover up. The thing was, she didn’t know for _what_ yet.

  
Shepard worked with him once before, enough to know that he preferred going solo to get the job done, and that he wasn’t a conversationalist. He was a damn good solider, and a decent man, as far as turians went. Unlike other turians she had met, he seemed like he did genuinely see the potential humanity had and was trying to see how he could push them. She supposed she was lucky that she got assigned to Nihlus. Other turians may have not taken to her so well, after everything,

They still had their fights of course, but as a whole, they were decent with each other, if not against holding bitter grudges for each other’s mistakes. She remembered he once told her she’d make a good Spectre, if the Council would have her. Maybe that was why he was here.

“Don’t worry about Nihlus. If something happens, I’ll handle it.” She reassured Joker, who didn’t seem all that reassured, but thanked her anyways. It was best that she handled things with him anyways. Most of the crew here were vinegar and Nihlus was oil. Shepard would be the egg.

She got called to speak with the captain. She left the two men at their post. On her way down, Navigator Pressly stopped her for a chat. It was about Nihlus, and how Pressly felt they were being held in the dark about what exactly was going on, and how he just couldn’t trust turians. Ran through the whole family. He probably wanted her to say the same, but she didn’t. She shrugged. She had worked with him. He wasn’t a terrible turian. She simply told him to let bygones be bygones. It was better than hating each other forever. Pressly didn’t seem too pleased by her response but only gave a polite nod before going back to his business. He should have asked _someone else_ , she thought.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m interested in this world we’re going to — Eden Prime. I’ve heard it’s quite beautiful.” He commented as he looked up at the screen, Shepard following suit.

 

Captain Anderson hadn’t made his way down to his office yet – probably tied up in his own conversations with someone else. It had given them time to have a pleasant _chat_ about Eden Prime, if backhanded compliments and vague threats could be called _pleasant_. That was exactly what Shepard was expecting after all. While she didn’t doubt that Nihlus did think humanity had potential – she was sure he wouldn’t work with her if he didn’t – he went about it the same way everyone else did. Pointing out the worst mistakes, the worst habits, and everything they’ve done wrong so far. He sure had a funny way of _showing_ it.

“They say it’s a paradise.” She replied simply. Shepard could only judge what she saw from the vids and the advertisements. She hadn’t been to Eden Prime personally, and as a Spacer, the concept didn’t really appeal to her. Though her mother always said it was because she was still too young yet. That’d she want to settle down eventually. But, as far as she could see on the screen, yes. It looked like a paradise.

“Yes... a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?” He looked at her, and she glared back.

 

“Just what are you implying?” She shot right back, taking a step forward.

 

“Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?” He crossed his arms, but made no move to back down.

 

Of course Nihlus didn’t think they were _ready_. _None_ of the Council thought they were ready! _No one_ thought they were ready! She had served in the First Contact War, she knew what had happened. While it ended up as a stalemate, and the Council brokered peace soon after, she felt that humanity had very proven they could handle turians, and did. Holding the line against the supposed military might of the Citadel and launching a surprise attack wasn’t too shabby, was it?

“I think _you_ know the answer, Nihlus,” she spat out.

 

“I think _you_ , out of all people, should be able to handle a turian.” He chuckled as she took a step back, placing her hands on her hips.

 

“Fuck you, Nihlus. Fuck you and the Council dick you rode in on.” She was right back at glaring at him. Out of everyone, it _would_ be Nihlus who bring up her relationship. Who just couldn’t resist making a jab at, despite probably at least partly knowing how tough for her it had been back then.

 

“I’m only stating facts, Shepard. By the way, how is -.”

 

Captain Anderson finally stepped into his office, and that conversation ended extremely quickly.

 

“Is something wrong, here?” He asked, looking at the both of them.

 

“No, Anderson.”

 

“No, sir.”

 

He gave Shepard a look like he didn’t believe her, but continued on. “I think it’s time we told the commander what’s really going on here.”

 

 

 

 

“If you’ll forgive me, Shepard, I think we should all have drinks later when this is over. It’d be good to speak with him again.” He told her, as they approaching the first drop-off point.

 

“Yeah, and then I can beat your ass for everything you’ve done so far,” she smirked, wishing him luck.

 

“Wow, ma’am! I didn’t know you knew a Spectre! That’s so cool!” Jenkins was all wide-eyed, just like all fresh recruits were. She had remembered he had been excitedly talking to Doctor Chakwas earlier. She shrugged.

 

 “You get to know a lot of people.”

 

“Aww, if only Nihlus stayed with us! You could have told us all the cool stories you know!”

 

“Stay focused on the mission, Jenkins.”

 

 

 

 

Eden Prime was nothing short of an outright disaster.

 

Shit hit the fan faster than Shepard could blink. It was just _supposed_ to be a routine shakedown run, with her asshole turian Spectre friend assessing her. Jenkins dying wasn’t much of a surprise – she had seen fellow squad mates die time and time again. It was just a fact of serving in the Alliance. What made it punch harder was her remembering how he had been so eager to start his life outside of his colony walls. The thought that even if he would have stayed on Eden Prime instead, he would have died _anyways_. They couldn’t give him a proper burial at that moment, but she promised she would give him one as soon as she could.

The colony had been _ruined_. Smoke and death filled the air, no matter where they had went. Geth had invaded. They had taken the people who remained and turned them into _whatever_ those blue rotting zombie corpses were. There was a giant mother ship. The beacon had been destroyed. Nihlus had been killed. They found him at the space port, shot in the back by a turian named Saren, if the dockworker was to be believed.

 

_“One of these days, Shepard, you should meet Saren. He taught me everything I knew.”_

 

She wouldn’t lie and say they were the closest of pals. Maybe if things were different, they _could_ have been closer, if they hadn’t fought so much. But there was no amount of fighting that would _ever_ make her think Nihlus deserved _this_ , as she knelt down to his body and closed his eyes, staring at the blue blood that had pooled underneath.

 

_“You think you could do me a favor, Shepard?” He asked her one day, as they sat near the docks._

_“is it not to kick your ass? Because fuck you, I’m not promising that.” She said to him, and he laughed._

_“No, I’m sure you’ll do that regardless of what I say. I think you could be a Spectre, if you work hard enough. I’ll give you a recommendation when the time comes. Just don’t do something stupid to ruin it.”_

_“Ass.”_

 

God. Damn. It.

In the end, they were at least able to save the colony, if not stop Saren. They picked up one Ashley Williams, and had no one else die. When Ashley had approached the beacon, Shepard managed to keep her out of harm's way and knocked herself out for a few hours, but at least she wasn't dead. At least if Saren wanted to return to the beacon, it was long gone. The vision she had when she touched the beacon, however, was worrying. If the images she saw meant anything, it meant they were up for a hell of a fight.

She wondered if the mother ship they had seen meant anything.

 

 

 

 

 

Going back to the Citadel was nice, she guessed. It was one of the few silver linings after everything that happened on Eden Prime, and if she played her cards right, she might be able to squeeze in a few moments with him. She had sent him a message earlier, before they were set to dock. It was pretty brief, saying that a mission had gone badly and she had been sent to the Citadel to talk to the Council. If he wanted more details, it would be safer to talk about them in person.

And the most important thing, she just _missed_ him. They had both known what they were getting into back then, being worlds apart. But in that moment, nothing else had mattered, and she considered it worth the risk and the heartache. Even knowing what she knew now, she wouldn’t tell her past self to do anything different. The opposite in fact – to hold as tight as she could, because it was so rare that such a good thing had come into her life. Someone great for her, who wanted to _stay_. Even if every chance to meet at the Citadel felt like the last.. She thought about Nihlus.

 

_Why don’t we grab drinks? – Tori_

 

He hadn’t answered back.

 

She just chuckled as both Kaidan and Ashley seemed amazed by both the Citadel and its flagship, the Destiny Ascension as Joker requested to dock. It was always nice to see that first look of surprise and amazement on someone else’s face. She remembered how embarrassed she was when she got called out for having saucer wide eyes. She tried to hide it, but there was nothing she couldn’t hide from him. It wasn't like she wanted to hide anything from him, but  _still_. It had been the principle of the thing, she said, and he laughed.

It was a pretty place, all things considered.

 

 

 

 

 

“This is an outrage! The Council would step in if the geth attacked a turian colony!”

 

It was a pretty fair assumption that neither the Council nor Udina were very happy right now. Tori stood at attention, closer to Captain Anderson, as Udina continued to argue with the Council. They brought up the fact that humanity had known the risks when they went into the Traverse and settled near the Terminus Systems. Quietly pushing the blame _, this is your fault, you chose this, and now you must deal with it._ The Council wasn’t happy about Saren. Tori wasn’t happy about Nihlus.

 

This wasn’t going to end well.

 

“Captain Anderson. I see you brought half your crew with you,” Udina said, as his eyes scanned over the three of them. He passed by both Ashley and Kaidan rather quickly, before lingering on Shepard. He seemed to glare at her, and she glared back. They were old friends, after all, her and Udina – unfortunately, they never seemed to get _along_.

 

“Just the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions.” Anderson replied coolly, looking over to Shepard, who looked away.

 

Udina crossed his arms. “I have the mission reports. I assume they’re accurate?”

 

He nodded. “They are. Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience.”

 

Udina huffed. “They were not happy about it. Saren’s their top agent. They don’t like him being accused of treason.” His attention turned to her again. She glared right back again. If she hadn’t backed down back then – part of it she had good reasons for – she didn’t know how he expected her to back _now_.

 

“I’m not just going to sit on my ass because the Council doesn’t want to do anything. If they won’t stop Saren, I will.” She asserted, and Udina shook his head.

 

“Settle down, Commander. You’ve already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. I am not suffering through your impulsive, reckless attitude again!” He pointed at her and she crossed her arms, not backing down. She wasn’t afraid of him. What the hell had he done back then? Nothing!

 

“The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!” He continued on, and she hoped he was done flapping his mouth because she was about to punch someone.

 

“That’s Saren’s fault, not hers!” Thankfully, Captain Anderson quickly chimed in.

 

“Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise, the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres.” He said in a bitter tone, reminding her of the good old days, if they could be called that.

 

_“Just don’t do something stupid to ruin it.”_

Shepard turned around, looking at the ground. She hadn’t promised him, but she had accepted it. She wanted to adhere to his advice. She could only imagine what he would say to her now. That he had been right, she imagined. She wasn’t ready. And he’d genuinely be sad, because he expected so much from her.

 

Satisfied with her shame, Udina gestured to Anderson. “Come with me, captain. I want to go over a few things before the hearing.”

 

“Shepard – you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I’ll make sure you have clearance to get in. _Try_ not to cause any more trouble.”

 

After a moment of silence, Ashley chimed in. “And that’s why I hate politicians.” They all had a good chuckle.

 

 

 

 

 

Tori decided that they were going to hit up the Wards before going to the Council meeting, and that it was a _great_ idea. Kaidan tried to reason with her that they might be late, if they did that, but she insisted that it was only for a quick drink. Besides, meetings with the Council took forever to set up, so she was sure they wouldn’t miss her for _too_ long. They certainly hadn’t the _first time_. The view would make them forget all about the Council, and it was worth it.

 

“You sound like you have experience with them, ma’am,” Ashley commented and she shrugged.

 

“You could put it like that, Williams. Now come on, you won’t regret it.”

 

There was this spot at the Wards she remembered that she really liked, and felt that her squad mates would also appreciate. From that window, they could see a big part of the city below them, with their purple glittering skyline and the air traffic passing by. From an angle, one could see light shining in from the star the Citadel was near to, casting everything in a vivid violet that felt from another world. It was a reminder of just how grand this place truly was, and it was a great spit for a drink. She walked up to the vending machine from so long ago, picking the fourth one down. A bright yellow can fell down. It was fruity, and it made her nostalgic.

 

Taking a sip, she watched casually as Ashley and Kaidan took all that was before them.

 

“Big place,” Kaidan said, and Ashley raised an eyebrow.

 

“That your professional opinion, L.T.?” She responded, a bit snarky and Shepard was glad the can was hiding her shit-eating grin. She had a feeling that she and Ashley were going to get along, beyond the alien habits.

 

“It’s just a big place - how do they keep this place up without it collapsing on itself? No wonder they’re so careful with new arrivals – it must be tough to keep all these different cultures working together.” Kaidan explained himself, looking out.

 

“Or, maybe they just don’t like humans,” Ashley replied with the same amount of snark as before. “This makes Jump Zero look like a portajohn. And it’s the biggest deep space station we have.”

 

Tori shrugged. “Oh, why not? We’ve got oceans, beautiful women, this emotion called love. According to the old vids, we have everything they want, differences in tech aside.”

 

“I don’t know, ma’am, the way the Council talked…,” Ashley trailed off, sighing.

 

"When you put it that way, there's no reason they wouldn't like you. I mean us. Humans. Ma'am." He awkwardly tried to recover his sentence, as Ashley shook her head at him, telling him he must not get enough shore leave.  Shepard looked down at her drink, staring blankly.

 

 

_“What’s this? You aren’t trying to poison me, are you?” She playfully remarked as she turned over the bright yellow can in her hands. She knew it was a type of drink at least, with a goofy looking fruit mascot._

_“Right, because I’d go ahead and poison the love of my life,” Garrus responded drily, his mandibles flapping a little._

_She only smiled wide as she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “We haven’t even know each other that long and you’re already calling me the love of your life? Isn’t that a little premature, Vakarian?”_

_“You’re not denying it. Don’t you… feel the same way?” He asked, as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the railing._

_Didn’t she feel the same way? When she thought about it, the answer seemed clear. “I mean, I do. I do. But…. You know me, Garrus. Romance isn’t exactly my strong point, and after everything that’s happened..,” she fiddled with the tab as she trailed off. “I don’t regret it but I just. How do you know? How can you be so sure? What if… this was all just a mistake?”_

_She didn’t have the best history with men, if she was honest with herself. She liked to think herself as decent, but for some reason, she just kept attracting the wrong type of guy. Things never worked out, they stopped talking. He would end up with someone else after weeks of radio silence. Sure, she was able to fool around, but that’s all she was good for, apparently. Fooling around._

_Garrus was possibly the first real good thing in her life, beside her mother, and she’d admit. She was scared._

_His gaze on her softened, and he took her hand. “I think you just know, Shepard. And I won’t lie, I’ve made a lot of mistakes too. My father probably sees you as the next one, but that’s not what I believe. I know you’re the one for me, interspecies drama be damned.”_

_She smiled as she leaned into him._

_“Then…. I guess you’re the one too.”_

 

Shepard pretended she didn’t hear Kaidan as she threw her can away.

 

 

 

 

 

They went to the tower for the meeting. She rolled her shoulders, stretching herself out. Ashley asked her why she was stretching in the elevator, and Tori only casually remarked it was just in case she needed to punch someone.

 

Climbing up the stairs, she couldn’t believe who it was near the top of them. She felt her heart soar as soon as she saw him, and she tried her best to keep a neutral face, but a smile kept popping up. It was Garrus, and he was arguing with the executor about the investigation about Saren. So, it had been him who C-Sec put up to investigating. She smirked. She was going to get her information then.

Once the argument was finished, and the executor promptly left, she didn’t escape his notice. Turians were a little hard to read, for people who weren’t as experienced with them, but she had known him long enough to know he was just as happy as she felt. And a little surprised too, that they’d find each other right in that moment. In that moment, she couldn’t stop herself. She sprinted up to him, hugging him, kissing him, and telling him just how much she loved him. Garrus was caught off guard, but he returned her hug and kiss anyways.

 

“People are staring, you know,” He mumbled to her, and she laughed.

 

“And when have I ever cared about that? They don’t matter to me. _You_ do.” She kissed him again.

 

He sighed, resigning himself to his fate. “Never, I know. I missed you too. Sorry I couldn’t respond to your message – you caught me at a bad time.”

 

“It’s alright, I won’t murder you for it. I just missed _you_ , you know. You made me sad.” She said, in her favorite childish sad tone, and he chuckled.

 

A quick glance to her squad was telling her that they both were a little loss for words. Kaidan, in regards to his earlier remark, looked rather defeated. Ashley, on the other hand, looked like she really wanted to know why her new commander was like a teenager over an alien they didn’t know. She didn’t look very approving either. Shepard sighed, separating herself from him, but still kept close.

 

“Ashley, Kaidan. This is Garrus, my husband. Garrus, this is Ashley and Kaidan. New squad.”

 

Garrus hummed thoughtfully. “I see. Working with Shepard is a great honor. But she can be a real handful.”

 

“Ugh, stop,” she complained, but she was smiling.

 

Kaidan awkwardly coughed. “So, yeah. You wanted more time for Saren?”

 

“Yeah. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. I _know_ he’s hiding something. But he’s a Spectre – everything he touches is classified.” He explained, a little agitated, and she took ahold of his hand.

 

“But if anyone can convince them otherwise, it’s you Shepard.” He took both of her hands, and she nodded. “You can do anything.”

 

She snickered, but nodded. “I’m not a god, Garrus. But I promise I’ll do my best.”

 

 

 

 

 

The hearing had not gone _well_ , to put it lightly.

Unsurprisingly, the Council had not believed them. They didn’t believe the testimony of the dock worker, and they certainly didn’t believe anything about her vision. She had no faith in the latter, but she would have thought the former would have counted for _something_. It had been her first real good look at Saren, and she wasn’t very impressed, if she was being honest.

Looking at him, the only thing she could think of was just how much of a disgusting, smug piece of shit he was. This was the turian Spectre Nihlus spoke so highly about? The friend he had valued above all others, and the one who _shot him in the back_. She saw the look in his eyes. When he talked about Nihlus, there was no remorse for what he had done, no guilt. Nothing. It was like they weren’t even _friends_.

Turians weren’t really the looking kind, by other races’ standards. Still, she could at least find some of them attractive. Nihlus was an asshole, but good-looking. She certainly thought her husband was attractive. But looking at Saren, she was fairly disgusted. Parts of him looked mangled, patched up and mismatched. He looked like the man who betrayed his friend.

 

Luckily, _she_ looked like the woman who would kick his face in.

 

 

 

 

 

“Bringing Captain Anderson into the hearing was a mistake. You and Saren have too much history – they’ll use it as an excuse to dismiss whatever claims we have against him.” Udina shook his head as they all regrouped in his office. Shepard hadn’t known Anderson and Saren had history, but then again, she hadn’t known much about Saren other than how much he had adored and admired by Nihlus. To think that patched up bug work was the man Nihlus judged all others by made her sick. And after everything, all Nihlus got was a shot in the back. She promised she’d bring him justice.

 

“Shepard, you’ll be in charge of this investigation. I see you didn’t raise too much as a fuss at the hearing, so I’m assuming I can somewhat _trust_ you with this.” He said that, but he still looked at her like he half-expected her to completely ruin things by the end. She rolled her eyes.

 

“You did say to try not to cause trouble, _sir_.” She sarcastically replied, hands behind her back.

 

“Regardless, we have to find a way to expose him. As a Spectre, he’s virtually untouchable.” Udina said, raising his hand to his chin.

 

“What about that C-Sec officer, Garrus? We… saw him arguing with the executor.” Kaidan said, a little awkwardly.

 

“Yeah, that…turian. He kept asking for more time. I think he was close to finding something.” Ashely joined in, not that jazzed about remembering what she saw.

Their responses and the awkwardness of the room thereafter told Udina everything he needed to know, as he shook his head, muttering about how Shepard hadn’t changed at all. Captain Anderson said nothing, but gave a look that confirmed he’d at least _overheard_ what had happened at the tower. All eyes were on her, just like they were before on that day, and she hated it. She hated it back then, and she hated it now. All she wanted to do was to be happy, but it was like everyone had an issue with it. Sighing, she broke the silence. “You don’t have to like it. But you’re not going to shame me out of this.”

 

“ _I_ only ask that you ask that you keep your PDA to a minimum, Shepard. I know full well we can’t separate the both of you.” Udina said, sighing. “If we want to track Garrus down, we _could_ contact Harkin.”

 

“No way. He was fired from C-Sec a month ago. I’m not wasting my time with a loser.” Anderson spoke up, cutting the air with his hand.

 

“But I’m fairly sure Shepard has his number. Send him a message.” Udina rolled his eyes as his gaze returned to her, frowning.

 

All eyes turned to her again. “Yeah, give me a second.” She muttered.

 

_Meeting went sideways. Saren still considered innocent. Said you needed more time to find info? Is there any way I could help? And you still up for drinks later? I feel like I need a dozen. <3 – Tori _

 

He responded a few seconds later.

 

_Situation in med clinic. Dr. Michel’s office. Bring back up. – Garrus_

“He’s in the Wards. We need to get there as soon as possible. Let’s move out.” Shepard ordered, and thankfully, Kaidan and Ashley nodded without any other comments.

 

“Good luck, Shepard. Speak to Barla Von when you have time. I hear he’s an agent for the Shadow Broker. He might have some information on Saren.” He told her and she nodded as they left the room.

 

There was one text she didn’t say out loud to the others, however.

 

_< 3 – Garrus _

 


End file.
